The Cicero-North Syracuse High School Band performed "The Masque of the Red Death," a musical production inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe story in the Large School 2 category of the field band competition.

"We found that our kids like dark subjects," said Karen Seamans, who is in her first year as director of the 86-student band.

Seamans, who graduated from CNS in 1992, said she chose a dark musical piece by Danny Elfman and then researched through Poe stories to find one that fit the music.